Center Ice
by Voltage Axe
Summary: Rating subject to change. Natsu strives to become one of the best hockey players, in Fiore's top professional league. Will he finally achieve his dreams...and, bring his team their long-awaited championship title, in this one-of-a-kind sports drama? Modern AU. Read and review!


**Full Summary:** Natsu strives to become one of the best hockey players, in Fiore's top professional league. However, things take a turn, when he's drafted to the worst team in that league…the Magnolia Fairies. More to it, there's drama, tension, and angst, afoot—romance, even! It all comes down to the ultimate question: will Natsu finally achieve his dreams… _and_ , bring the Fairies their championship that has eluded them for a long time?

 **Author's Note:** Hi, everybody! I know I haven't been as active as before, on the fanfic side of things…but I have returned with a couple of stories, including this one—and a few more, on the way! With the 100th anniversary of the NHL having passed by, recently, along with the Canada 150 celebrations, I thought it would be a good time to put out an entirely different story (than what I usually make). Seeing as there's a lot of FT fics that feature sports—such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and the like—I was surprised to see that there were only a few stories that feature hockey…but not one that focuses mainly about it! The idea to make a story based on this sport, to me, came about around a couple of years ago. However, after a short while of planning, it almost never happened. I'll get into the details of what happened behind the scenes of writing this fic, in the end-notes of subsequent chapters, as the story goes on. But, for now, I'll stop rambling, and let you enjoy this very first chapter, here!

Oh…and, keep an eye out for some Easter eggs, too!

* * *

" _Go to where the puck is going, not where it has been."_

— _Walter Gretzky_

" _Great moments are born from great opportunities."_

— _Herb Brooks_

* * *

 **Voltage Axe Presents**

 _ **Center Ice**_

 **CHAPTER ONE: The Show Begins!**

* * *

The loud pitter-patters of sneakers hitting the solid pavement had reverberated through the entire neighbourhood, in concerto with the occasional clacks of the stick's blade also making contact with the ground. Small, heaving puffs escaped a young boy, no younger than seven years old, as he moved around energetically, all over the paved concrete.

Hockey stick in his hands, the pink-haired boy steered himself in figure-8s, handling the rubber ball by controlling it with the blade of his stick. As he came around, the young boy stared down at the large figure in front of him, guarding the net. Said figure was an adult male, having great stature and build, despite being in his mid-30s. In his pads, knee guards, and other goalie gear, the large adult positioned himself in front of the net, as if he were actually a goaltender of some sort.

"Come on, Natsu!" He called out to the young boy in front of him. "Show me what you got!"

Poised and ready to strike, the young, pink-headed boy gave out a small grin, before taking off on his small feet. Stick-handling the ball in front of him, the youthful child had swung the blade of his stick against the ball, launching it directly towards the net. The large adult male had read him perfectly, moving quickly to the left, the ball having bounced off the blocker that was over his left hand.

The adult male chuckled heartily at the boy, as he returned back to his original position in front of the net. "Close, Natsu! Try it again, eh?"

Frowning slightly for a second, the small child nodded his head, his eyes now filled with determination. "Yes!"

Lining up to take another shot, Natsu rushed straight towards him, bringing the ball around with the blade of his stick. A firm grip on the stick, the young boy launched the ball towards the net again, only to have the grown-up male block the shot.

The large adult smiled widely, laughing off the attempt. "Keep going, kid! You're almost there!"

Natsu huffed deeply a few times, grumbling to himself. He then made the rush towards the net, yet again, trying to get past the older male in front of the net. The young boy continued several more times, throughout the bright hours of the afternoon, under the filtered skies, making attempt after attempt of getting the ball past him.

About 15 minutes later, the young boy was already exhausted, becoming all sweaty from all the moving he made. Heaving loudly, Natsu felt as if his body was about to give up, from trying to get the ball into the net, many times. His eyes then shot up to meet the large figure who was calling out to him.

"Hey, Natsu!" The adult male continued to stand still in front of the net, only breathing out a little. "You tired yet?"

The pink-haired boy shook his head at him. "N-no…"

Nodding his head firmly, with a quiet grunt, the large male could only understand what the boy really meant by that. "I see," he affirmed, before cracking a toothy grin. "Well, how 'bout you put one by me, _then_ we can take a rest?"

Natsu blinked gormlessly at him, dismay spread out across his eyes. Every bit of muscle and fibre in his body had screamed at him, telling him to continue no more. But, there was the sense of determination that remained strongly in his mind, telling him not to give up at this point.

Shortly releasing another breath of air, the small, pink-haired child stared down upon him, nodding his head. "Okay."

The larger male in his hockey gear had tapped the broadened blade of his stick twice, against the concrete, assuming his stance in front of the net. "Alright—bring it on, then!"

Taking a few seconds to think of how he could possibly get the ball by him, and into the net, a lightbulb went off in his head. With the ball against the blade of his stick, Natsu steered it left and right in place, before he took off on his feet.

The man guarding the net could only give a little smirk behind the mask, as he focused on the young boy headed straight for him, with the ball. _'Again with the charge, eh, kid?'_

Taking a good read on the small child rushing towards him, the grown-up male slowly motioned himself back, closer towards the net. He was prepared to make another block, to deny him of yet another scoring chance.

Suddenly, as he was coming forward to make the save—the pink-haired child nearing closer to the net, his eyes became wide open at what came next, right away.

Winding up the shot, by raising his stick above shoulder-height, Natsu decided to fake him out, at the very last second. Immediately lowering the stick, Natsu steered the ball to his left. He then shifted his body to the same direction, successfully getting himself around the goalie, only to slap the ball into the open space of the net.

The adult male was still in a state of shock and disbelief, as he turned his head towards the young boy to his right, whose feet had stopped moving. He could then see Natsu freeze for a very short moment, turning to see where the ball had ended up, before his face instantly lit up with joy.

"I did it," the little, pink-headed child breathed out in a whisper. He then threw his hands up in triumph, excitedly running around on the pavement. " _I did it! I got it in!_ "

Recomposing himself, the larger male had watched him celebrate his achievement, with a proud smile on his face. Giving out a boisterous laugh, the man in his mid-30s had quickly removed his equipment, throwing his blocker, glove, and pads, to the ground. He then removed the mask worn over his head, the rays of the sun pouring down upon his onyx irises that were underneath his thickened eyebrows, the couple of scars on the side of his face, and reflecting off of the bright, reddish-pink flow of his hair.

Natsu continued to scramble around the paved terrain frenetically, shouting and screaming his head off. He gradually slowed to a stop, when he saw the adult slowly advance towards him. " _I did it, Igneel!_ I _scored!_ "

Igneel blinked for a couple of seconds, causing the young boy to raise his eyebrows at him, as he stood there in front of him. It was only until he broke composure, and cracked a much bigger smile, laughing cheerfully.

"Yes, you did, kid!" He picked up the small child with the might of his arms, carrying him onto his broad shoulders. " _You did it, Natsu! Magnolia's won the Cup!_ "

Both of them cheered and laughed some more, as the larger male kept the boy onto his shoulders, prancing around—without a single care in the world.

To Natsu Dragneel, this was one of the best days of his life, an important one that he would cherish in all of his memories, forever.

It wasn't the first he ever had—but, it also wasn't the last he'll ever have.

* * *

 _Several years later…_

Sounds of the crowd din quietly pierced through the field of darkness, at first, before it grew in volume, and became loud enough to echo around. A pair of eyes slowly opened and shut in repetition, before they fluttered open rapidly, giving way to the entire sight before them. Bright light poured down onto a surging crowd of people, as they gradually filed into the arranged sections of the peanut gallery. Elsewhere, on the main floor, countless men and women scurried around the rows of tables. Staff members of the organizing crew were on the rush, each one of them quickly making sure that the equipment was tested already, and ensuring that everything was going right for the impending occasion.

Sitting from up high in the lower bowl, the pink-haired young adult gave a low yawn, having felt fatigued from being glued to his seat for so long. Smacking his lips a few times, he casually observed the attending populace, in hundreds. They had all moved in from the various pathways, making their way to the venue's seats, with much of the attendees wearing attire that prominently featured the hockey team of their choice. He turned his attention to the watch strapped to his wrist, closely checking the time on it, before giving a dejected sigh to himself.

' _When is it ever going to be over,'_ he wondered to himself, slumping against his seat. _'Just how long would it take, before I'm called down there?'_

Natsu looked up at the stadium's ceiling, lost in his thoughts. The anxiety had crept through his nerves, feeling somewhat uncomfortable deep inside. Never had he been so nervous, in his entire life.

It was 'Opening Night' for this year's Entry Draft, taking place at the Sabertooth Arena. A much wider turnout was expected, in the number of ticket-holders attending the Draft. In other words, it was going to be quite a sold-out show.

Having to attend this spectacle of an event was the least of his worries, however. After all these years growing and developing his game, Natsu found himself to be the top-ranked prospect. A top-ranked prospect sought after, by all the teams, in the professional league of the country that he currently lives within its borders. Despite his best in putting up with all the pressure and expectations of living up to be the most hyped-up player in history, he still somehow became entangled with these pressures of being such a player of this calibre.

It was true that it wasn't easy for many hockey players that were drafted before him, that were dealing with these matters, but as long as he kept certain things to himself, and did certain things right…it would actually be more easier for him to have control over those kinds of expectations.

For now, 'though, all Natsu had to do, was to stay seated, and keep watching, until his name was finally called up from the stage.

Several more minutes passed by, and the pink-haired male had found himself bored out of his mind, already. Lying lazily onto the seat, Natsu began to think back to all the times in his past that have brought him to where he was, now.

He'd spent more than ten years playing the sport that he'd come to fully embrace, having the drive of passion for it. 11 years in all the junior leagues. Three years in Fiore's national team development program, after. By that point, he had already excelled at just about every single metric measuring his success, especially in the statistics. Rather than continuing in the amateur leagues across the country, however, the young adult decided to enter the world of professional hockey, and moved to Europe to play there.

Although not as impressive as he was, in the past years of playing amateur hockey, Natsu managed a solid performance in the professional league over there, making a great impression on the scouts from differing teams. It was only after his stint with playing in Europe had ended, was when he finally declared himself for the Entry Draft of Fiore's own professional league.

The decision to enter that league, through the draft, may have been considered simple for him right now, but it wasn't so much, at that time. He was about to play in one of the most prestigious professional hockey leagues around the world, one that had lasted almost a century in the making. From what he knew about this league, he knew that there had been countless teams that played throughout its historic existence—now, there were only fifteen teams that currently remained. Aside from the pressures and expectations of being a great player in that league, he was up against more skilled players just like him, who had always gave it their all, and succeeded wherever they can be.

And, what would happen if he didn't live up to those expectations? What if he didn't play well, against those types of players that gave it their all, out there? What would everybody think of him, then? Would he have to give up his passion for this sport? To leave everything behind, of what he worked hard for, up to this point?

Mentally shaking his head, Natsu refused to acknowledge this. It was all of this hard work through all the years, is the reason why he was here, in the first place. He played with fire and passion in his time with those amateur leagues, on those amateur teams. And now, he wanted to prove himself that he can play with men, on the larger stage that is pro-league hockey. He wanted to prove to everybody that he wasn't just an ordinary player out on the ice.

To do so, however, wouldn't be too easy. Almost all the time, it just never was.

Having declared his intentions to play in Fiore's professional league, Natsu learned of the team that was most likely going to select him in the Entry Draft. He was taken aback personally, over discovering which team in that league had the potential to pick him, but kept it cool, anyway. It may not have been the team he wanted to play with, but as long as it didn't interfere with his current ambitions, then it was worth playing for such an organization.

While everybody working on the stage had made sure everything ran smoothly from the get-go, including sound checks over the arena's speaker systems, Natsu sat up straight, having leaned far back against his seat for far too long. Taking another peak at his wristwatch, he could tell that there were only ten minutes, before the main event started.

Lifting his head away from the watch, the young, pink-haired male scanned across the rows of seats closer in front of him, looking around to his right. Seated around him, were men of younger ages, like him, dressed in fine suits. They were the other players, who were declared for tonight's Entry Draft, waiting to be chosen by all the teams in the league. Some of them were actually talking to each other, he observed.

Given the competitive spirit of his nature, Natsu thought to himself about the prospect of meeting those very players, when they're on the ice. He'd hope to show them, prove to them, of how well he can play against them. A small smirk was plastered on his face, as he thought about it.

The young adult was then rudely awakened away from his train of thought, having felt a large hand being placed on his right shoulder. He heard the crackly voice of another male, his focus shifting towards the person who had placed his hand on him.

"Hey…are you really who I think it is? Natsu Dragneel, is that right?"

Natsu blinked at the person standing in front of him, a young male around his age, but with a long, and spiky blond mane. His red pupils glared down at the pink-haired hockey prospect, a large grin on his face.

There was something about this guy that Natsu found to be off-putting. Most especially, the way he grinned at him. To him, it was rather disturbing, the chills being sent down his spine.

Playing it coolly, Natsu maintained his composure, and nodded his head in response. "Uh, yeah."

The blond male barked out his laughter. " _No way!_ " He then lowered himself onto the seat right next to Natsu, extending a hand towards him. "It's a pleasure to be sitting beside you."

Feigning a half-hearted chuckle, Natsu reluctantly accepted his handshake. "Yeah, same here." Having shaken his hand, he raised his eyebrow at the blond. "And you're…?"

" _Zancrow_ ," he grinned again. "Zancrow is my name."

Natsu gave a brusque nod at him. "Ah, nice to meet you, then."

"You know," Zancrow began, "I'm supposed to be the third overall pick—a couple of spots right below you, Natsu."

Astonishment surfaced on Natsu's face, hearing him disclose this kind of fact. Surely, he must have played well in his recent career, to merit this high position in the Entry Draft!

The blond prospect then gave a smug grin that disturbed Natsu slightly more. "Here's hoping that I get picked by the team that I want to play, eh?" He then nudged his elbow against Natsu's arm, while cackling out his laugh.

Giving a narrowing stare at him, Natsu frowned, and softly brushed his arm with his hand. Turning away from the person sitting next to him, the pink-haired prospect pondered in his head, over what was to come after the Draft had ended. Although he was already nervous in the time right before the event, and right now, there was the feeling of looking forward to his future teammates, coaches, and everybody else in the team organization. At least, he hoped to make better relationships with them, going forward into his relatively-new professional career.

* * *

Most of the lights in the arena were dimmed down, at the time when the show started. Natsu could hear the cheers, screams, and excited yells, erupt through the venue's atmosphere. Most of the upper and lower bowl was filled with thousands of fans attending the event, almost every single one of them going mad for just a show featuring which players were going to be picked by the teams. Regardless, Natsu already knew that there was going to be a lot more to this Draft, for the fans themselves.

Down at the main floor, where everything was actually happening, representatives of each of the teams in the league had convened over there. Virtually all of them were gathered at the tables, with electronic sign displays in front of them that displayed their team names. Some representatives from differing teams had met with each other, probably conversing over potential trades, and more.

Over at one table, an elderly man of short stature was seated alongside a taller, stockier gentleman—with slicked hair of orangey-brown. They were also in wait, for the entire event to begin.

Then, without warning, the spotlights flashed down on the already-ravenous crowd, discs of bright light scattering randomly all over the arena's interior.

" _Ladies and gentlemen_ ," the vivacious voice of the P.A. announcer rumbled through the speakers, " _ **hockey fans**_ … _WELLLCOME TO THIS YEAR'S MAJOR ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE ENTRY DRAFT, AT SABERTOOTH ARENA!_ "

Louder screams and cheers erupted from the audience, the large numbers of fans attending the occasion showing their excitement in more ways than one. Some of the fans waved signs around, while some of the other fans had shouted out their support for their teams.

Following the mandatory occurrence of the national anthem being played, most in the attendance had seated themselves, while more than a few groups of fans had continued standing on their feet. The lights had already turned back on, by then.

" _And now_ ," the P.A. announcer continued, in his lively voice, " _please give a warm welcome to the Commissioner of the M.I.H.L., Draculos Hyberion!_ "

The atmosphere in the venue then changed drastically in a matter of seconds, as a single male figure entered the stage, approaching the podium. What used to be cheers and applause from the abundant crowd, had turned into jeers, and boos, at once.

Up high, at the lower bowl, Natsu could tell immediately of the person being addressed by those calls from the fans. On the stage, a dark-haired male of elder age, with a mustache, had reached the podium at the front of the stage. The booing and jeering intensified, as soon as he made the final few steps towards it.

In his darkened suit, the elderly male with the mustache had shuddered a bit, at the unrelenting boos and insults from most of the spectators. Disregarding the continuous reaction from the lot, he carried on with his introduction speech.

"Good evening," Draculos feigned a smile to the best of his abilities, withstanding the heckling. "I appreciate that kind of energetic response from all of you here!" He cleared his throat, in the midst of the ongoing hostility from the fans in the seats. "I would like to welcome everybody here, for this year's Entry Draft, at the Sabertooth Arena! We've had a history of the Draft being set up here, years ago…"

Natsu didn't pay much attention to what the league's commissioner had to say, in his speech. _'Blah, blah, blah'_ , he thought, in the back of his mind. It was almost always the same kind of speech that he'd usually hear a thousand times—usually something about the historical connections of the Draft, some sorts of events and festivities that would be scheduled at future dates, and the like. He didn't care that much, for all that sort of talk; he only wanted to hear what was more important to him…and that was the announcement of the team that would be choosing him.

"—and so," Commissioner Hyberion concluded in his speech, "with all that being said—let's get started! The first selection, of this year's Major Ice Hockey League Draft…belongs to the _Magnolia Fairies!_ "

The booing and heckling had intensified, yet again, as the commissioner called on the team's representatives to be up at the stage. From where he was sitting, the pink-haired prospect noted that there was only a small smattering of cheers, and cries of joy, coming from the fans of that team, who were sparsely located all over the arena.

Down at the main floor, a small group of men—representing the Magnolia Fairies hockey club—had made their way down to the stage. Following behind the taller, brown-haired gentleman, was the shorter, elderly male. He had slowed to a stop, pausing for a short moment, as he turned around, and looked at the portion of the lower bowl that had all the prospects sitting there. Searching all over the area, his eyes finally focused directly on Natsu, who had looked away for a second, before actually looking down upon them.

The elderly male narrowed his eyes, a soft smile tucked underneath his thick, white mustache. He then felt a hand tug on his shoulder, coming from the brunette male in front of him. Gently nodding his head, the old, white-haired male continued to follow him onto the stage, without holding up everybody else behind him.

Having shaken the hand of the commissioner, once at the stage, all the team's representatives were gathered for a very quick photo shoot. From there, the balding, aged male was directed to come up to the podium.

" _Alright,"_ one of the live broadcast commentators reported from elsewhere in the arena, _"here we have the team's head coach, Makarov Dreyar, to make the announcement."_

The booing grew louder from the massive crowd right before him, as he cleared his throat in front of the mic. " _The Magnolia's—_ "

Makarov paused himself, to gather his thoughts, attempting to remember what he was going to say next. Fans—most of them, belonging to teams that rivaled to this one—continued to boo lustily at him, causing the head coach to lose track of his thought. " _Erm, sorry_ ," he murmured under his breath, before he spoke up, in measured pauses. " _The Magnolia's…first overall pick, in this year's Draft…._ "

Under tremendous, unwarranted pressure, by the rowdy members of the audience, Makarov decided that he would have another figure make it all official: one of the most powerful figures in charge of the team's organization.

Awkwardly pausing, the head coach finished what he had to say. " _Ah, we're going to have the President and General Manager make that selection himself—Gildarts Clive!_ "

Stepping aside from the podium, Makarov allowed the brown-haired male to take it from there.

Natsu completely sat up straight on his seat, body leaning forward in great anticipation, for what was going to be his moment, in the spotlight.

Defying the utter uproar from the adversarial fans of the other teams, the president and general manager of the team began to speak, with a fine amount of confidence. " _Magnolia's proud to announce, from the Euro League, Fiore's program…Natsu Dragneel!_ "

Right as his name was called out, by the team's president and G.M., the spotlights fell on the pink-haired male. Cheers and howls of support became louder than they were before, nearly overtaking the outcry from other fans in their seats, as Natsu got right out of his seat. Standing up straight, Natsu took the moment to wave at the fans for a tiny, brief moment, before he started to make his way to the stairs.

" _We've seen players in this country who have been drafted, first overall,"_ a live commentator explained, _"but this is the first time we've seen one, for a player of this caliber!"_

A chant of _'LET'S GO, FAIRIES!'_ echoed from far in the stands, and elsewhere, as the pink-haired prospect was escorted by a couple of staff members.

" _And, this is interesting,"_ another live commentator commented. _"You have a player who's this skilled and talented, who has taken his development to another level, by going international. I also think that it became possible, because you have players who used to play in top professional leagues, and they have trained these young guys over there…"_

Following the people escorting him to the stage, his heart pounded a little harder, muscles and nerves thrumming away. Natsu looked up ahead, finding all of the team's representatives who were looking forward to seeing him there. It was still a surreal feeling to him, at first, but it was one that he'd get over with, one that would be replaced with such ecstasy and joy.

A few large portions of the crowd cheered on, as Natsu finally reached the stage, walking up the stairs onto the platform. He shook hands with the first few representatives, up until he reached the next two figures in line.

His body froze, upon meeting the short, elderly man in front of him. His eyes widened for a second, as he could recognize the balding senior, with his thickened mustache…and his pleasant smile. It was at this instance, the depths of his mind had told him that he had seen him multiple times before—not just on the T.V. screens, either.

Natsu then heard the voice of the team's president, in the thick of things, snapping out of his daze.

"Hey there, Natsu," Gildarts called out to him, bringing the young adult to face him. "Welcome aboard! It's good to have you here!"

The pink-haired male returned with a cheery smile, shaking his hand. "Thanks! I appreciate it!" He then shook hands with the white-haired Dreyar, when it was his turn. " _Coach._ "

"Oh, you don't have to call me that, yet, Natsu," Makarov chuckled. "Save it, until we get to training camp!"

"Sure thing," Natsu beamed. " _Looking forward to it!_ "

Having shaken the hands of the last few representatives, Natsu was handed the team's jersey, from Gildarts. Unfurling it from its folded state, like a flag, amazement lit up the young adult's face, holding up the jersey by its shoulders.

Consisting of lighter materials, this long-sleeved component of the team's uniform set was featured in all of its navy-blue glory. Under the lights, the bright white stood out in the two stripe bands around the upper-part of the sleeves—just above the elbows, and the single thick stripe band closer to the hem. The snow white also stood out, in the collar, and the laces right below it. This colour was also featured in the numbers sewn on the upper portion of the sleeves, above the stripes, and on the team's logo—which had actually resembled more like a fairy, with wings.

Turning it around, Natsu glanced at his surname stitched on the upper-back portion, along with the two larger numbers below it, indicating the last two digits of the current year.

To the top hockey prospect drafted first overall, from minutes ago, he was all but finding himself in a sense of euphoria, and glory. He had never felt so elated to be chosen by a team in this professional hockey league before, the feeling of it becoming quite profound for him. All he could think of it, at this point, was the sentiment that it was going to be his time. It was his time to make an impression on this league, this team, the fans of this team, and the country itself. Yes, to make an impression like nobody else.

And that time is now.

All the cameras focused on the entire group at the stage, as the pink-haired male had put the sweater over his head, and through. Complete with a baseball cap featured in the same colours, and logo, Natsu joined the team's representatives, gathered together to take a few more photo shoots, by the media. When all was said and done, Natsu and the others had led themselves to the backstage areas, clearing the way for the next team to make its selection very soon.

Gildarts bumped a friendly elbow against his arm, as they made their way down the stairs, and into the backstage. "So, kid…how was it? How d'you feel?"

Natsu raised his eyebrows. "About the whole thing?" He simpered, after the team's president nodded his head. "I like it! Can't wait to see all my teammates there."

"That's great!" Gildarts patted him on the shoulder. "Look, Makarov and I have got to get back to our table, right now—but I'll get back to you, with all the things you need to know, after tonight, okay?"

Natsu nodded his head. "Yeah, sounds great!" He then waved at the two of them, as both head coach, and president were about to leave. "See you guys!"

Makarov turned around, waving a hand back at him, along with Gildarts. "You have a pretty good night, Natsu!"

The young man looked on, staring at the two, as they left the backstage area. The euphoria and energy still took hold of him, but Natsu maintained what was next for him, in his own thoughts.

Waiting for the staff members to escort him to one of the rooms for the eventual press conference, Natsu took off his hat, and ran his fingers through his spiky pink hair. He could then hear the audience cheering rambunctiously, outside the backstage, turning his head towards the source of the sound. He watched the live event, from where he was standing.

On the platform, all the men representing another one of the league's teams congregated there. One of the top-level representatives for that team, the general manager, and head coach, had stepped up to the mic.

At the same time the announcement was about to be made, Natsu was finally escorted away, by a couple of staff members. While he began walking alongside the venue's staff, he heard the deep and guttural voice of that team's general manager reverberate through the speakers.

"… _For the second pick_ ," he heard him introduce, " _of this year's M.I.H.L. Draft…the Sabertooth Prowlers are proud to select, from the National Junior League—Sting Eucliffe!_ "

Louder cheers, and other expressions of approval, erupted from the crowd—most of them being fans of that team.

Making his way towards the room, Natsu was able to catch the live event happening on a wall-mounted display. Pausing for a moment, his eyes captured the moving images of a young adult around his age, his hair blond and spiky, irises as blue as the sky. In his white dress shirt, and dark-blue trousers, the Prowlers' second overall pick had shaken hands with the team's representatives, before putting on the team's jersey.

The excited roars of the fans in the seats had become deafening, by then, forcing Natsu to turn his attention back to the staff guiding him. He had more important matters to deal with, as he continued walking down the hallways.

' _Second overall pick, huh?'  
_

* * *

Shutters of cameras snapped, and flashes popped, as the pink-haired prospect faced a sea of reporters, and other members of the press. In the recent years of his hockey career, Natsu had encountered numerous personnel from different media companies, having dealt with them dauntlessly. Never had he encountered, however, a presser of this size and magnitude.

Sweat and heat formed on the skin of his face, being surrounded by the amount of lighting that shined down on him, from behind. Seated right behind the table, in front of the backdrop plastered with the event's logo repeated in a pattern, Natsu—still in his hat and jersey—anticipated for whatever questions from the press that came his way.

The question and answer session went ahead, with one of the press reporters being handed a mic, standing up straight to address the drafted player.

" _Hello! Matsuki here, with Playmaker Magazine,"_ he introduced himself. _"First off—Natsu, I want to congratulate you, on being drafted first overall, this year. With all that being said, I understand that Magnolia has been suffering for some kind of distinguished success over the past ten years, or so…and, from what I can tell, the fan-base is looking at you as a 'saviour' of this team."_

Natsu mentally chuckled to himself, right at that point.

Matsuki continued, directing his question at the pink-haired young adult. _"How does it feel, about the fans that are making you as the cornerstone of this franchise's future?"_

Having already thought about how he was going to respond, Natsu played the more humble road, in his answer.

The pink-haired newcomer to the league had smirked. "I mean, hockey's a _team sport_ , am I right?" He then crossed his arms. "Yeah, I don't get the whole _'saviour'_ thing, actually. I only want to be an impact player." Pausing for a very brief second, Natsu thought up of what else he could say. "Um, well…I believe I can be a franchise center-man—to become a number-one center-man in this league, so…that's really my great big goal there."

The next question came from another reporter, as the mic was passed on. A blonde female rose up from her seat.

" _Hi, Natsu,"_ she introduced herself, in a sweetly tone. _"This is Jenny, from the Fiore SportsCast Network. I just want to ask you this: what do you hope to accomplish, in your first season with the Fairies?"_

"Well," Natsu smiled away, "I just want to learn as much as I can...and, it's a learning curve I have to take in. I think the M.I.H.L. is one of the best leagues in the world—so, with that, I want to keep learning, keep getting better, and not letting anything up."

The mic was then passed to another male reporter, who stood up for the next new question.

" _Natsu,"_ he began, _"I understand that you've met Makarov Dreyar—who's been hired again by the Fairies, last year…uh, what do you expect—err, what's it gonna be like, to play for him?"_

Taking a quiet, shallow breath, Natsu's head perked up at the mention of that name. His mind flashed back to meeting the white-haired elder, at the stage— _and beyond that_.

Snapping back to reality, Natsu brought his focus back, on answering the reporter's question.

"Uh, well," the pink-haired prospect slowly answered, "I think it's quite an honour, really." He placed his hands flat on top of one another, over the table. "His record speaks for itself; he's won championships as a player, and as part of the coaching brass, so…I think I can learn more, from a guy like him, and I look forward to that."

Another question came, as the mic was passed on, to yet another male journalist.

" _Magnolia Gazette, here,"_ the man with a bowler hat spoke up. _"I want to ask you about the second-overall pick in tonight's Draft, Sting Eucliffe. As far as everybody's concerned, he's a guy who's skilled and talented on the wing—maybe as skilled, and talented, as you are. What do you think about that?"_

Natsu's tone changed to a more reserved one. "You know, I don't actually mind that kind of stuff, even with all that talk about guys like him." He placed his hands firmly on the table's surface, away from each other. "What I mind the most is about myself, my team, and what I want to achieve. And nothing else."

As the press conference winded down, only a couple of questions remained from the reporters.

Another female correspondent rose from her seat. "Just a few moments ago," she commenced, "I saw you putting on the newly-designed jersey for the Fairies. What did you think of it?"

Natsu blinked, and raised his eyebrow. "Oh, the jersey, you mean?" A grin formed on his face. "I like it a lot, to be honest. I mean, it's a franchise that's been going on for a long time, and so…I think it's a big honour to be wearing this jersey of that franchise."

There was now one more question for him to answer, the microphone being passed to the final reporter, sitting on the last seat of the row.

" _Before I begin,"_ the last journalist rose up, _"I want to congratulate you on getting to this point in your career. That being said, I feel that this is certainly a family project of sorts. How do you think your family felt, when they heard your name being selected by the Fairies?"_

Natsu's body stilled, in its current position. For a second, his eyebrows shot upward, the young adult being caught off-guard by that very question.

His thoughts raced through his mind. _Family?_ What did he mean by that?

As far as Natsu could remember, he didn't know who exactly was considered to be his actual family. For the life of him, he couldn't recall who his parents were—the ones who brought him into this world. In fact, the only people he knew that were quite close to him, were Igneel, and—

 _His mind flashed to the sight of Makarov, from years before._

— _him_.

This was the question that he had struggled with, the most. Fortunately, rather than dawdling around to think of a response he could craft—potentially raising suspicions from the press, Natsu decided to improvise, on a wing and a prayer.

"It was like a dream come true," Natsu feigned a smile, winging it in his answer. "They've done so much for me," he explained, as if he had gone through those real kinds of experiences. "A lot of sacrifices…and, for me to get to this point in my career, they've played a huge part in this. Yeah, it was really a special moment."

Satisfied with the response, the male reporter nodded his head and sat right back down.

Just like that, the press conference had ended, with a staff member thanking all the representatives of the media for their participation. Rising from his seat, Natsu was led by another couple of staff personnel out of the room.

As he stepped past the open doorway, however, a thought had crossed deeply into his mind. It had made him reflect back on the final question that was asked to him, and how he answered it. His head hung low, eyes casted in the same direction, Natsu walked quietly with a contemplative frown.

* * *

A few hours later, the pink-haired drafted prospect had ended up in his hotel room, laid flat atop the comforter of the bed.

Not long after the first day of the Entry Draft had ended, Natsu found himself taking part in the after-party. Along the way, he had run into a few figures that were considered legends that played in the league. They had shared their past experiences with the number-one drafted player, Natsu taking their words of advice given to him, for real. Overall, he had an incredibly fun time over there, partying away from all the stresses and troubles he had faced. All that fun, however, had left him feeling a little drained, especially after having experienced the whole Draft beforehand.

In his white dress shirt, and black trousers, Natsu ran his eyeballs across the Twitter feed on his smartphone. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen, with a thumb, the relaxing Dragneel browsed through the numerous tweets that covered everything about the first day of the Draft. Aside from the tweets that were posted by user accounts belonging to the various media outlets, there were also messages put up by the copious amounts of fans, too.

Glancing at every single tweet about him being drafted first overall by the Fairies, Natsu didn't bother looking into the ones—from haters, and fans of different teams, alike—that either disparaged him, the team he was picked by, or both. Although those kinds of tweets would have served as fuel for stoking the fire that became his motivation, he really wasn't certainly interested into looking at all of them. Rather, it was the tweets about him, from the actual fans of the Fairies that he wanted to see.

Definitely, there were some of those tweets he had come across, from those fans of that team. They had sent messages of support, optimism, and those who expressed their happiness, and gratitude that he was the one chosen by their most-favourite team.

A selection of such tweets, were as followed:

" _OMG still can't believe Salamander_77 was picked by the Fairies!"_

— _Mslead_

" _SO HAPPY FOR NATSU RIGHT NOW! LET'S GO FAIRIES! Salamander_77"_

— _ToxiNeena_

" _YAYYY HE'S NOW WITH THE FAIRIES! Salamander_77"_

— _Snogfairy_

" _Who else is pumped up for what Natsu will do, this coming season? I AM!"_

— _Soprana-snap_

" _FAIRIES NATION, REJOICE! Salamander_77 HAS FINALLY ARRIVED"_

— _Rivendell101_

Natsu broke open a warm smile, at the amount of attention and feedback he received, from those fans of this team. He had no idea that there was such a large and fervent base of them that graced the social media platform's presence. The drafted hockey prospect then viewed a few more of those tweets.

" _I'm still so excited about Natsu being picked by them, I don't have any more words to say"_

— _ProudToBeAGinger_

" _YAAAAS NATSUUU YOU BEAUTIFUL PINK-HAIRED CHILD #LGF"_

— _Unashamed-shipper_

" _Forget what the haters say, Natsu belongs with the Fairies…and I'm a fan of them!"_

— _DarkShiningLight_

" _LET'S GO, NATSU! LET'S GO, FAIRIES!"_

— _DancesWithSeatbelts_

" _Natsu will be the one who will bring the Fairies their long-awaited Cup. Calling it now. #LGF"_

— _Chikachoo_

" _I'm so happy for Salamander_77! He deserves this chance"_

— _mushi0131_

And, finally, there was this:

" _NATSU DRAGNEEL IS A MAGNOLIA FAIRY! I'M SCREAMINGGG"_

— _MizzyPlatinum_

Holding back a sincere chuckle at these posts, Natsu felt quite encouraged by the many favourable reactions, from the fans themselves. It brought him one of the best feelings he ever had.

Turning away his attention from the countless tweets sent by the team's fans, the young adult had wondered what his future teammates thought about him becoming a part of the Fairies. Searching through the accounts that belonged to each and every player on the team, Natsu discovered that their reactions were more or less the same, as those from the fans:

" _Welcome to the Fairies, Salamander_77! You're gonna like it here ;)"_

— _StarLion5_

" _It's a good day to have a fine, talented player who will join us! Salamander_77"_

— _R33dusJonah_

" _SO MANLY TO SEE OUR TEAM FINALLY GET THIS GUY! MANLY, I TELL YOU!"_

— _A_Manly_Beast_

" _Hmm…about time we have somebody who can really play on this team."_

— _IronMan57_

Natsu smirked at some of those reactions, from his soon-to-be teammates. His smirk then quickly diminished to a surprised frown of sorts, coming across a tweet, from another potential teammate already playing for the Fairies.

This was one whom he knew for several years, since he was a kid.

" _Congrats on making it to the show, Salamander_77. Can't wait to see your ass on the ice."_

Said tweet was posted by the handle of _Iceman20_ , whom Natsu came to recognize the person that this alias had belonged to.

' _Gray…'_

 _ **To be continued, in the next chapter: "Ice in His Veins".  
**_

* * *

 **Okay: question time, for all you readers out there!**

 **Are you a fan of hockey…or, is hockey one of your favourite sports (at least)? If so, what's your favourite hockey team (it can be any team, not just from the NHL itself)?**

 **For me, my most favourite hockey team has to be the one from the 6ix. You probably know which one I'm talking about. In all honesty, 'though, the Magnolia Fairies (in this story) are based on** _ **that team**_ **…and you'll find out more about it, in the upcoming chapters!**

 **Speaking of which, the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang are coming in about a month, or so. I know there's not going to be any NHL players (nor—** _ **possibly**_ **—KHL players, for another matter) who will take part in the hockey tournaments, this year…but I'm still kind of interested to see what happens there. Korea's also in this year's IIHF World Championships, so I'm also looking forward to that, too!**

 **Anyway, if you like this first chapter of the story and you want to read more: leave a review, put this story on your favourites list, follow it...and that's it!**

 _ **Until then, stay tuned for more!**_


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